Patrick Hearn · April 16, 2024 · 6 min read Dungeons and Dragons is more popular now that it has ever been in its 46 years of existence. If you know someone that adores playing D&D and you want to surprise them with the perfect gift for their favorite hobby, here are some ideas.
1. Mimic Dice Box
The Mimic is one of the most feared creatures in all of Dungeons and Dragons. You reach for what looks like a perfectly normal treasure chest, and the next thing you know, your arm is stuck–and the chest has teeth.
If you want to recreate that feeling for your players, this Mimic-themed dice box is a great way to not only store extra dice but serve as a massive Mimic on a battlemap.
2. Reusable DND Map
If you know a Dungeon Master, then you know how much time they spend designing maps and laying them out for various dungeons and battles. This can go through a lot of paper, especially for those spur-of-the-moment battles. This reusable 24-inch by 36-inch map folds up and can be drawn on, erased, and redrawn hundreds of times.
3. Owlbear Figurine of Adorable Power
The Owlbear is one of the most ferocious yet beloved creatures in all of Dungeons and Dragons. It’s almost impossible to encounter one in a campaign without the players attempting to tame the beast. If you know someone that loves Owlbears, this vinyl figurine is a perfect addition to their shelf.
4. Core Rulebooks Gift Set
Maybe you know someone that wants to get into Dungeons and Dragons but can’t afford the core rulebooks. This gift set contains the Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and the Monster Manual, as well as a Dungeon Master Screen. It all comes in a stylized slipcase to keep the books safe, too–not bad for $92.
5. Dice Set
Clickety clackety, roll to attackety! A D&D player can never have enough dice, especially if they are the Dungeon Master. If you’re stumped for a gift, investing in a set of dice is always a surefire hit. You can even purchase custom metal dice, but be warned that these will dent the table.
6. Tabletop RPG Adventurer’s Bag
Every D&D player will find themselves with a lot of paperwork. After all, tracking character sheets, carrying dice and miniatures, and packing a snack for the DM (a much encouraged tradition) requires a bit of storage. Sure, you could use a backpack, but why not feel like a wizard instead?
The Tabletop RPG Adventurer’s Bag has enough space for four to eight books, a compartment for storing miniature figures, a loop for carrying battlemaps, and storage for much more. If you know someone that is a serious tabletop gamer, this bag is the ultimate gift. Think of it like a Bag of Holding.
7. Condition Tracking Rings
On a really bad day, a D&D character might end up poisoned, paralyzed, and stunned all at once. If you wonder how you can keep track of various status conditions, the easiest way is with a condition marker set.
This set contains 96 rings for marking the 24 most common status conditions a character or monster might encounter. It simplifies the process of tracking everyone’s individual character and streamlines gameplay, keeping the campaign rolling forward.
8. Roll20 Subscription
Many players find it difficult to get together to play, especially with lockdown restrictions in place. To get around this, players turn to Roll20, an online gaming platform that allows them all to interact from home with all of the DND calculations determined by the system.
While players don’t have to spend money, Dungeon Masters will find the experience much easier if they subscribe to Roll20 to access the full suite of tools. A yearly subscription is $50 (or $100 for the Pro version) and is a great gift for the budding Dungeon Master in your life.
9. DND Beyond Subscription
Like Roll20, DND Beyond is an online platform for playing Dungeons and Dragons. It doesn’t have the same tools and utilities that Roll20 does, but it’s a great platform for designing and theorycrafting characters. While a free subscription limits the number of characters a player can make, the Hero Tier ($26 per year) allows the creation of unlimited characters and the addition of homebrew content.
10. Miniatures
A great Dungeon Master can make the battlefield come alive in the theater of the mind, but there’s just something about a physical battlemap full of miniature figures that makes it even better. A set of miniatures is a great gift for a Dungeon Master. For a player, try to find out what character they play and look for a pre painted figure that fits them.
11. Spellbook Cards
There are a lot of spells in Dungeons and Dragons. It can be a bit overwhelming even for the most experienced players. Rather than flipping back and forth through the Player’s Handbook to reference what each spell does, a keychain of spell cards can provide easy reference.
There are spell cards for every class in Dungeons and Dragons. If you know specifically what class a player enjoys, buy them a deck of cards for their class. For a Dungeon Master, a set of cards for magical items or high-level monsters will thrill them.
12. Modular Terrain
Battlemaps are great, and miniatures can bring the game to life–but if you want to help someone really step up their DND game, then a modular terrain system is the way to go. This adds a 3D element to the battle map that accurately depicts walls, traps, and more.
These terrain systems vary in price and material, but they will be loved by any serious tabletop gamer. They even move easily from Dungeons and Dragons to other games like Warhammer 40K.
13. The Forgotten Realms Book Series
R.A. Salvatore captures the magic of the world of Dungeons and Dragons and introduces readers to Drizzt Do’Urden, one of the most infamous characters in D&D lore. If you know someone that would love the stories, this boxed set of the first 13 books is a great gift.
